Catriona sets up business in North Tolsta

It took travelling half way round the world to India for Catriona Maciver to realise that what she wanted to do was set up her own business.

While London, where she studied graphic design at Central St Martins College of Arts and Design, was the obvious choice, Catriona chose instead to head to North Tolsta in Lewis.

As a second generation islander Catriona had spent a lot of time in the village as she grew up and looked forward to the challenge of creating her design studio in the Hebrides.

Now, speaking as she was getting ready to launch her online shop on her website (www.studiotolsta.com) Catriona explained that after graduation she had gone to work in a graphic design studio in India. While there she had been hugely influenced by the entrepreneurial spirit all around her.

“Being in India was a great opportunity to see and experience enterprises at all levels - from the vendors in the street markets to the artisans block printing at home, to the huge leather factories outside Delhi. While I was there I was lucky enough to also meet some very inspiring women who had built up their businesses on their own from scratch and were now hugely successful in their field and doing amazing things,” said Catriona.

When her contract ended in India she returned to the UK fired up by the many examples of entrepreneurship she had witnessed.

When she was told her parents were moving to her father’s native North Tolsta, Catriona felt the time and place was right to make the plunge she had dreamt of.